Distillation apparatus



Oct. 1, 1929.

A. E. BECKER ET AL 1,730,112

DIS'I'ILLATION APPARATUS Filed Jan. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 uvcnl m ArmanBecker d Jackson H.5c/Tonlzerg Oct. 1, 1929. A. E. BECKER ET AL1,730,112

DI STILLATION APPARATUS Filed Jan. 9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Tr'an ormer5 ran ormer 5x ransiormer 9mm: Arma n E.Bc/(Pl" d I Jackson H.5ch0nbergPatented Oct. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRMAN E. BECKER, OFNEWARK, AND JACKSON R. SCHONBERG, OF WES'IFIELD, NEW

mnsnx, Assren'ons 0 F DELAWARE TO STANDARD OIL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, ACORPORATION DISTILLATION APPARATUS Application filed January 9,1924.Serial No. 685,149.

- and Fig. 3 is a detail inperspective showing the mounting of a heatingelement in insulating sections.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character 1 designates aliquid-holding chamber preferably of generally cylindrical shape, andjoining thereon is a vapor-chamber .2, preferably cof largercross-seotional area than the liquid-holding chamber. The vaporchambercontains a filling of pervious heattransfer material it, for examplesteel wool,

or other metallic wool or in some cases silicate wool, or less desirablycoarser filling material, as nipples or rings etc. The filling extendsfrom the grating 3 down to well below the liquid level line. Surroundingthe liquidcontaining chamber and the vapor chamber are a plurality ofcoils of resistance-wire heating elements, and around these in turn ajacket affording insulation against external heat-loss. Advantageouslythe resistance wire may be helical-coil wire of a suitable alloy and theturns about the still are arranged in spaced relation. The wire in eachturn constitutes a controllable circuit, for convenience in regulation,and may be wound on mica sheets placed against the still and the turnsmay be spaced and insulated from each other by asbestos rope or otherinsulator, and the whole then covered over by a plastic insulation. Inour preferred construction, however, the resistance-wires are carried bysectional pieces or blocks 4. of insulation (see Fig. 3), the wire 5being therein spaced from the still by a very thin wall and having amuch thicker wall on the outside serving also as heat insulation for thestill. The blocks 1 are laid up in courses about the still and the wireis placed in the groove g, and each course'carries preferably onecircuit. WVhen these are in place, the co-operating lugged coversections or outer sections 4* are set onto the sections 4 and the jointsmay be lightly plastered over, and the blocks as a whole give the effectof an integral jacket of insulation; but if required at any time thesections of any circuit can be dug out for repair or replacement of theresistance wire, without necessitating tearing off the jacket anyfurther, and on replacing the sections the jacket is again complete.These blocks may be made of any suitable insulating composition and canbe provided with air-cells if desired for lightness.

The leads from the individual circuit coils are provided with cut-outswitches 6, and extend to suitable distributing lines which may carrydirect current; but more usually the current available is three-phasealternating current, and for this there may be arranged distributing.lines in a three wire set 7, 8, 9 from transformers A, B, C. Ordinarytransformers may be used, but we prefer regulable transformers in orderto secure additional regulation of current and temperature, and

the individual switches 6 can be used chiefly for securing any desiredzoning differentials of temperature. As shown in detail in Fig. 2, adesirable construction provides secondary windings in a plurality ofcoil units 30, switches 31 for connecting coil to coil and switches 32for connecting the coils to the lines. By this arrangement the secondarycoils can be connected up in various combinations; for instance, inseries of as many as may be desired, or partly in series and in parallelsets, etc. For example, by closing the switches shown as closed intransformer A of Fig. 2 of the drawing, the coils are connected inseries of threes and two sets in parallel. This, of course, isillustrative, and other desired combinations may be had at will. In thismanner different rates of current flow may be had in the lines. Therimary winding of the transformers is ma e up in a plurality of units33. For illustration these coils are shown as connected up by two inseries and three parallel sets. Other combinations may of course be had,as desired. Associated with the primary winding is a resistance 34 in aplurality of elements or sections, each of which is connected to thepoints 35 of a switch which conveniently may be of dial type. By placingthe switch bar across from point 36 to the other points as may berequired, no resistance or various sections of the resistance to theextent desired may be connected 1n, and correspondingly moreor lesscurrent flow be had. The feed lines 3'1 may-be supplied with three-phasecurrent from a suitablesource.

Joining on to the vapor chamber 2 is a condenser 13, which is of largecross section to avoid unnecessary resistance to the flow of vapors. Acooling coil of pi e 14 is arranged in the path of the vapors. l3yflowing water orv other desired cooling fluid in regulated amountthrough the coil the temperature of condensation may be controlled asrequired.

A receiver 15 is joined to the lower part of the condenser and bysetting the condenser with a slight downward slope the condensate drainsthereto. A further cooling pipe-coil 16 and additional receiver 17 isprovided to enable the collection'of two separate fractions arranged toheat the liquid-holding chamber 21, or at least the lower portion of it,and electric coils are arranged on successively to the top of the vaporchamber; and joined .to

Y the vapor chamber is a condenser 23 which contains a cooling-pipe-coiland is provided with a receiver 24. Joining onto the condenser 23 is afurther condenser 25 of barometric type and an additional receiver R isconected thereto. From-the condenser 25 a connection 27 leads to avacuum pump 28.

In the operation of distilling with our apparatus, the'material to bedistilled, for example, a lubricating oil stock is introduced .throughthe feed pipe I, and the switches 6 are closed for the circuits whichare to be used and the current is turned on. If a fractionat ing actionis desired, only the circuits about the liquid are "closed. If nofractionating action is desired, but instead a distillation withoutreflux, the circuits up about the vapor space are also closed, or atleast a suflicient number of them in suitable spacing to secure thetemperatures desired at the respective points of measurement, Additionalregulation is secured by the switches of the regulable transformers. Acoolingfluid is circulated through the cooling pipe-coils in thecondenser to maintain the temperature there at the desired point, andthe vacuum pump is operated as required. Ifsome steam is desired in thestill, it may be furnished by a pipe 29 which extends near the floor ofthe still and is perforated to distribute the steam,

and the extra condenser may be operated at a temperature to condense outthe steam dif-- ferentially from the oil. I

The temperature in the still may be measured b thermometers in wells atdesired points, at we prefer indicating or recording thermometers, asconventionally shown at T,

T,T ,T

What we claim is:

1. In an electrical heating installation foroil stills having a liquidchamber and a vapor chamber, the improvement which comprises a number ofclosely spaced electrical heating elements arranged to supply heatthroughout the extent of both said chambers, and means for regulatingthe flow of current through said elements. Y

2. In an electrical heating installation for cylindrical oil stillshaving a liquid chamber opening directly intoa vapor chamber of largerdiameter, the improvement which comprises circumferential resistanceelements at closely spaced intervals from top to bottom of both saidchambers, and means for regulating the flow of current through saidelements.

3.v In an electrical heating installation for oil stills having a liquidchamber and a vapor chamber, the improvement which comprises a number ofclosely spaced resistance wires arranged to supply heat throughout theextent of said vapor chamber, and means for regulating the flow ofcurrent through said wires.

4. In an electrical heating installation for vacuum distillationapparatus, the improvement which comprises a plurality of electricalheating coils in spaced relation about said still, and mounted insectional blocks of insulating material, said blocks fitting together toform a jacket about the still, and means for regulating the current tothe coils.

5. In an electrical heating installation for vacuum distillationapparatus, comprising a liquid holding chamber, a vapor chamber. of

at least as large cross sectional area joining on thereabove and apervious heat transfer 7 filling in the chamber, the improvement whichcomprises a plurality of resistance wire heating coils in spacedrelation about said liquid holding chamber and vapor chamber, andmounted in sectional blocks of insulating material, said blocks fittingtogether, lead wires from said heating coils, and cut-out switches insaid leads. a

6. In an electrical heating installation for distillation apparatus,comprising a cylindrical liquid holding chamber, a vapor chamber oflarger cross-sectional area joining on thereabove, a pervious heattransfer filling in the chamber and extending into the liquid holdingchamber, the improvement which comprises a pluralit of resistance wireheating coils in spaced relation about said liquid holding chamber andvapor chamber, and mounted in sectional blocks of insulating material,said blocks fitting together to form a jacket about the still, leadwires from said heating coil to three-wire distribution lines, cut-outswitches in said leads, and a set of regulable transformers forsupplying said lines.

7 In an electrical heating installation for distillation apparatus, theimprovement which comprises combined electrical and heat insulatingelements made up of block sections grooved to receive a heating wire,and lugged outer sections cooperating therewith to cover the wire andprovide a jacket for said fluid heating apparatus.

8. Means of supporting a plurality of resistance heating wires in spacedrelation, consisting of sectional blocks of insulating material fittingtogether to form a jacket about the body to be heated, said blocks beingmade up of a grooved section to receive the heating wire and a luggedouter section to cover the heating wire-and provide a jacket for theheated body.

ARMAN E. BECKER. JACKSON R. SCHONBERG.

